Buit plate lock means



Sept 25, 1956' E. M. HARVEY 2,763,951

BUTT PLATE LOCK MEANS Filed Feb. 4, 1953 I1 g1 li. a

IN V EN TOR.

Eurle M- Hurvey R TTOENE Y5 BUTT PLATE LOCK MEANS Earle M. Harvey, Agawam, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application February 4, 1953, Serial No. 335,177

1 Claim. (Cl. 4271) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a butt plate assembly for a gunstock, including an access door for covering the cleaning instrument container of the gunstock and more particularly to such an assembly having a device for positively locking the access door thereof in the closed position and adapted to be released to allow the door to open without use of special tools.

The butt plate assembly in present use includes a butt plate adapted for attachment to the gunstock of a firearm and provided wih a hole for communicating into the cleaning instrument compartment of the gunstock. A door of similar material hinged to the butt plate is selectively spring-biased to a closed position covering the hole or to an open position to allow access to the compartment. This assembly is adequate to retain within the compartment the cleaning implements of the firearm for which it was designed even during firing of the firearm. However, the recoil forces of modern firearms have been increased and the cleaning implements have necessarily become heavier so that recoil of the firearms causes the implements to be projected rearwardly. Impact of the implements upon the door often causes a door such as the one described above to open and the implements to be thrown from the firearm. The biasing spring of the access door could be strengthened to retain the door in closed position despite the impact of the cleaning implements, but special tools would then be required to open the door.

An object of my invention therefore is to provide a butt plate for covering the cleaning instrument compartment of a gunstock, including an access door and a laterally operable device for positively locking the door against opening responsive to recoil forces and to impacts of implements in the container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a firearm butt plate including a pivoted access door and a device adapted for positively securing the door in closed position and for releasing the door without the aid of special tools.

A further object of my invention is to provide a firearm butt plate having a door spring-biased to open position and a device adapted for positively retaining the door in closed position and for releasing the door, without the use of special tools.

An additional object of my invention is to supply a firearm butt plate having a device adapted for positively locking the access door in the closed position thereof and for releasing the door responsive to application thereto of pressure from an implement such as a cartridge of the firearm.

The butt plate assembly of my invention, includes a butt plate formed to enclose the storage compartment provided within a gunstock for cleaning implements of the firearm. A door hinged on the butt plate is adapted to United States Patent r 2,763,951 Patented Sept. 25, .1956

cover an access hole therein communicating into the stock enclosure. 7

The door is spring-biased to an open position and a catch is formed on the door. A bolt laterally slidable on the butt plate is spring-biased to engage the catch and secure the door in closed position. The catch and the bolt are adapted to spring into engagement as the door is closed and the bolt is adapted for disengagement from the catch by pressure applied to the bolt against the bolt biasing spring by means of .a blunt instrument such as the cartridge fired by the weapon.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention with the access door thereof in open position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of the butt plate shown in Fig. -1 with the access door in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view along line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view along line 5-5 of Fig. 3. 7

According to the drawing, a butt plate assembly includes butt plate 12' secured by screws 14 to the butt end of firearm gunstock 16 to cover enclosure 18 of the gunstock. Enclosure 18 is provided to store the implements used in cleaning the firearm. Butt plate 12 including apron 26 encloses the end of gunstock 16.

Door 22 is pivoted on hinge pin 24, laterally supported in apron 20 and disposed in parallel relation to butt plate 12. Hinge spring 26 coiled around hinge pin 24, engages butt plate 12 and door 22 to bias the door to open position as shown in Fig. 1. Both butt plate 12 and door 22 may be formed to accommodate shoulder firing of the firearm.

Inwardly projecting extensions 28 and 30 are respectively formed on butt plate 12 and door 22 to be perpendicular to butt plate 12 and mutually parallel, when door 22 is closed. Extension 30 includes catch 32.

Bosses 34 and 36 are laterally aligned on apron 20 and bolt 38 is slidably disposed in apertures 40 and 42 respectively extending through the bosses and through apron 20. The diameter of bolt 38 is greater than the bore of the weapon to permit insertion of a cartridge in the apertures. Bolt 38 is provided with lug 44 secured thereto by pin 46 and projecting therefrom through guide slot 48 in butt plate extension 28. Slot 48 is disposed in parallel relation to butt plate 12. encloses bolt 38 and extends between boss 36 and lug 44 to bias bolt 38 to normal position.

Catch 32 and lug 44 respectively are provided with bearing surface 52 and slide surface 54 to cause lug 44 to compress bolt spring 50 by wedge action as door 22 is pressed toward the closed position thereof. As door 22 continues to close, end surface 56 of catch 32 slides along end surface 58 of lug 44 and as door 22 closes still further, bolt spring 50 biases lock surface 60 of lug 44 into engagement with hold surface 62 of catch 32, positively to lock door 22 in the closed position thereof, as shown in Fig. 4.

Since bolt 38 is laterally slidable in the weapon, engagement of surfaces 60 and 62 is unaffected by recoil forces or torques of the weapon. A force from biasing Bolt spring 50 may be pressed against bolt spring 50 to allow lug 44 to release catch 32 :and hinge spring to open position as in Fig. 1.

Lock surface 60 and holding surface 62 are angularly disposed with respect to butt plate 12 when door 22 is in closed position to insure that door 22 continues to close tightly despite wear on the surfaces.

The butt plate assembly described satisfies the stated objects since catch 32 and lug 44 may be formed with sufficient strength to withstand impact of cleaning instruments on door 22 regardless of the recoil force of the firearm.

While the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment, I intend in the following claim to include those modifications and variations that are within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

A butt plate assembly for a gunstock having a compartment therein communicating from the butt end thereof, comprising a plate for attachment to the butt end having an access aperture therethrough, a door including a 26 to bias door '22 catch hinged on said butt plate and biased to an open position, a bolt slidably mounted on said butt plate for lateral operation and a spring for biasing said bolt, said door and said bolt respectively having thereon bearing and slide surfaces for wedge engagement to compress said spring responsive to closing force on said door, said catch and said bolt respectively having hold and lock surfaces for engagement positively to secure said door in the closed position thereof and cover said aperture responsive to said spring and said bolt being responsive to a force thereon compressing said spring to release said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 856,016 Balson June 4, 1907 931,766 Kennedy Aug. 24, 1909 1,051,960 Kennedy Feb. 4, 1913 1,485,456 Frommer Mar. 4, 1924 Madsen Jan. 31, 1950 

